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Ursula followed up her recent email with a reminder that Stuart Batty (Rotary World Community Service Chair) is speaking to Tauranga Rotary Club on Wed February 14th. All welcome.

The Rotary conference early bird registration price expires on January 31, so book soon.

Don’t forget Friday Fives this afternoon.

The next Board meeting will be in Tuesday.

Committee meetings will be held on 9th February.

Ken offered members an opportunity to attend the Toronto International Convention on June 23-30, and share digs with him.

Warren reminded members of the K Valley Adventure Race on 3 March.

The recent announcement from TECT about a proposal to triple funding to the community was summarised by Bill.

Ngatuhoa Lodge Outdoor Education Centre

Guest speakers

Bob Mankelow’s topic was on his long relationship with the Ngatuhoa Lodge Outdoor Education Centre. The centre’s by-line is ‘Providing outdoor experiences with the young and young at heart.’

Bill Kennedy started the centre in 1967 when it only had 32 bunks. Now they host 3000 kids per annum – mostly intermediate school age. The centre resides in the 37,000 hectares Kaimais forest park which is a living museum of natural and human history.

Bob’s presentation was notable for its stunning photographic images which epitomise the natural beauty of the New Zealand bush. Near the lodge are several exceptional waterfalls especially Te Rere I Oturu (The place where Turu took flight.)

The birdlife in the area is diverse and includes fantail, New Zealand robin, Whio (Blue Duck), kiwi and kereru amongst others. The are 427 species of plant and one of Bob’s jobs in the past was to find Maori names for them.

The centre also has its own small hydro-electricity generating system which heats water. Bob shared the centre’s wish list and urged members to come and help-out with some of the many maintenance and building projects.

Bob’s view is that people don’t get lost in the bush, they just become, ‘geographically embarrassed.’

Ngatuhoa Lodge Outdoor Education Centre is on Omanawa Rd, with 9km of metaled road after the gate.

Sergeant

Antoon delivered an excellent sergeant session that was a bridge between the past and the future.

The club is 21 years old and founding members were: Ian, Jane, Steve, Sally, Mary and Dean. He told anecdotes about the irrepressible late Peter Wyatt, and the reasons why the founding members wanted a Sunrise Club, and what it would achieve.

Antoon then challenged members to think about our financial sustainability and provided an intriguing funding mechanism based on the success of the Save-a-life fundraiser. This would involve the creating a replicable marketing package that could be sold or licensed to some of the other 35,000 Rotary Clubs worldwide.

Dear optimist, pessimist and realist
While you guys were busy arguing about the glass of wine, I drank it
Sincerely the opportunist
Larissa